


This Is An Intervention

by CinderScoria



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: Gen, I can't believe I wrote 5/am, I can't believe I wrote romance, Other, PURE FLUFF god bless, Zombies Write!, does this even count, gift for my friend!! I hope you like it Lizz, spoilers through the season 3 finale by the way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-31
Updated: 2016-08-31
Packaged: 2018-08-12 03:29:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7918744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CinderScoria/pseuds/CinderScoria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three years, a steadily growing betting pool, and enough tension to light up New Year’s Eve. Basically, everybody’s getting real sick of Sam Yao’s puppy eyes towards Runner Five. Something’s gotta give—and let it never be said that Abel Township does anything halfway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Is An Intervention

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ThisIsLizz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisIsLizz/gifts).



> Okay I have a confession: bout halfway through my FIRST fic for Lizz, I realized that it was getting way out of hand, approaching eight thousand words despite not even being halfway done, and was toeing the line for what she wanted. In other words, I chickened out and wrote this instead. As a side note, Lizz, I'd like to thank you for being so easy to write for, because otherwise we might have been in trouble.
> 
> That said, I am still working on it, and I'll post it later once I've decided what the heck I wanna do with it, promise!
> 
> Thanks, also, to RunnerFive and runnerzero for modding this/giving me a reason to get off my butt and start writing again. I had soooo many different ideas I might revisit someday, I owe it all to y'all, so thanks for that. You guys rock.
> 
> Slight disclaimer as usual: I know absolutely nothing of romance. I'm sorry. Also, this does take place AFTER the season (series? you Brits) 3 finale, and as such has spoilers. Just a heads up.
> 
> Okay! This is unbeta'd, so know that all mistakes are from yours truly! Enjoy!

Originally, it had been Simon’s idea. The betting pool was, at least—and since nowadays money was completely useless, it was full of “luxury items” like chocolate, books, CDs, posters, and other odds and ends. The bet wasn’t so much will they or won’t they, but how long it would take.

“Three weeks,” Simon had exclaimed. Anybody looking right at him would see the scheming in his eyes. He’d force them together one way or the other, that’s for sure.

Then the three weeks came and went and while Runner Five and Sam Yao were as close as they always were, neither had said a thing.

“Two months,” said Jack, while Eugene disagreed and put in, “End of the year. You have to have something romantic to pull them together, you guys.”

“What’s more romantic than saving one another on a weekly basis?” Jack argued. “It’s only a matter of time.”

Maxine shook her head as the betting pool, set up on the whiteboard in the rec room, grew longer and longer. “If it’s meant to be it will be,” was all she would say on the matter, but later she was caught adding a couple Nancy Drew books to the mix.

Weeks and then months, and then years, and Runners came and went. Jack and Eugene set sail. Paula was inducted into the Township. The betting pool remained. Every so often Sam or Five would come in and peer at the board, trying to figure out what sort of code it’d been written in, but no clue was forthcoming and nobody wanted to let them in. Every time a new Runner was welcomed into the ranks, part of initiation would be to add something to the betting pool.

Camo surveyed it skeptically. “How long has this thing been here?”

“Too damn long,” Maxine said with feeling.

And so, three years since Simon had set the pool up, the citizens of Abel Township decided that drastic measures were to be taken, and Operation 5 AM was put into effect.

-

“What’s that about, do you think?”

Five peered over Sam’s shoulder at the board, where a shiny new addition had been marked right at the top, next to “D and D night has been moved to Thursdays!!” in bright red. The Runner shrugged, causing Sam to frown deeper.

“What happens at 5? In the morning? When is this? Is this tomorrow? Or next week?” He squinted at the board, trying to decipher the abbreviations as if this time he would gain sudden clarity.

He didn’t. With a sigh, he said, “Pretty sure James Bond couldn’t break this code. I’ll ask Janine. This sort of thing seems like it could have the potential to be disastrous.”

His Runner merely nodded in agreement, although to be honest Five did have an inkling about the naming of the operation. The crush itself was no secret, Five was teased about it every day. The only person who didn’t seem to catch on was Sam.

But even feigning ignorance, a pun like that wasn’t hard to decipher. 5 AM—Five and Sam’s names mashed together. Hilarious.

Despite this, Five kept quiet. They’d both find out sooner or later. And apparently, it would be much sooner than expected.

-

Sam Yao was a bright young man in all the wrong places. He knew it. His parents knew it. Janine knew it. Just about all of Abel knew it. Oh, he had some college credits under his belt. He may have failed Engineering no matter what class he’d taken, but he’d still learned things. And of course, his expertise in being a radio operator had saved his Runners’ lives on many an occasion. That might be his only way to make up for being so incredibly, astoundingly dense.

Because it had been three very long, very stressful years and he was still no closer to telling Runner Five how he felt.

Year one had been mostly him trying to figure out what he felt. How fair was it to have dated the woman who held Five’s number before the Runner arrived from Mullins? Not at all. And Five wasn’t some replacement goldfish to make Sam feel better. Five was a legitimate, actual person. A very badass legitimate actual person. Who had thoughts and opinions and missions and things to focus on that certainly was _not_ romance, which Sam could understand, because even if the circumstances were right who the hell had time to date in the zombie apocalypse? It didn’t make much sense at all.

Year two was realizing that it was entirely possible, that Janine had even found someone (in Simon of all people), and that this crush of his really was getting out of hand. He’d told himself after Alice that he wouldn’t get involved with his Runners again, _never_ again, and yet there was Five, running quite literally into his life when he hadn’t asked for this, he hadn’t asked to care so deeply and so fondly for someone who’d barely spoken to him in the first months and seemed way too interested in the secrets Abel had to offer—secrets he hadn’t even been aware of. And there was Maxine getting Paula back, and there was Eugene and that scare where they all thought Jack was gone only to find out with delight that they’d been wrong in the best way, and at some point at some god-awful hour in the morning Sam had sat up in bed and breathed aloud, “Oh my god, I think might I love Five.”

And so here he stood at the exact opposite end of Year Three, three hours before midnight on New Year’s Eve, and so many things had happened in the past month that left him scared to do anything. Now wasn’t a good time, he figured, to admit your undying affection for someone who just lost two very important people in the same night. And yes, Simon was an ass, and yes, Moonchild was an abusive murderer who’d manipulated— _violated_ —Five in all the worst ways, and thinking about it still made Sam so very angry, but he was aware that both had been very important to his Runner and Five needed space. He was happy to give that, if that’s the least he could do, but that also left him standing outside the rec room staring up at the moon, loosening the collar of his only good shirt outside the party the Township seemed hell-bent on throwing.

Good for morale, he figured, as he frowned at the sky and tried to remember a single reason he actually felt like celebrating, and maybe that’s why he didn’t hear them sneaking up on him until a bag had been thrown over his head.

-

“This is an intervention.”

Runner Five was decidedly not a happy camper when the thin pillowcase was finally removed. They’d been tied thoroughly to a chair, ropes loose enough for them to escape easily if they chose but also tight enough to let them know they were certainly in for a treat.

The leader, of all people, turned out to be Maxine. She stood in front of Five with her hands placed squarely on her hips, her mouth trying valiantly not to twist into a victorious smirk. Paula stood on her other side, and the rest of the Runners were scattered out beyond in the rec room. Five was fairly sure it was Jody standing at the ready behind the chair should the Head Runner decide to bolt, chair or no chair. Owen was grinning openly, so Five focused a glare in his direction, promising pain in retribution. To the Runner’s inherent satisfaction, his grin disappeared immediately.

Maxine snapped her fingers in front of Five’s face, going for stern. “Listen up, Five. You see that board? That’s a betting pool. I’m sure you know how those work.”

Five said nothing, giving her a droll stare and waiting for the catch. Maxine pinched at the bridge of her nose before crossing the room and picking up a board game from the ever-growing pile of riches. “Have you ever played Sorry, Five?” she asked rhetorically. “This is one of the only things I brought over from America when I came here. I hated this stupid game. I thought, three years ago, that when we were betting on how long it would take for you and Sam to get together, someone would win and take it and I’d never have to see it again. But guess what, Five? It’s still here! Because you and Sam, God knows _how,_ have danced around each other for so long you’re literally making us all nauseous. I’m using “literally” in the correct context here.”

Paula stepped up next, grabbing a bottle of wine. “I’m amazed this is still here,” she announced, tilting the label towards Five. _“Chateau._ 1986\. I won this beauty in a charity auction the year I received my PhD.” She sighed. “I ran simulations, calculated odds, and _still._ I’ve been a part of this Township for, what, little over a year now? And this is what I get for it. Unbelievable, Five.”

Five snorted.

Owen bounded up, picking up a lightsaber of all things. “Visited America once and only once,” he informed the captive Runner. “Everybody saved up, even me, and we went to Disney World while we were there, and it was the year the Phantom Menace came out. They were doing a special. Look, it still lights up.”

He activated the saber and it hummed weakly, producing green light through the cylinders. It was a truly hideous toy, but Owen’s face lit up along with it, which Five found frankly adorable.

“I put in one of my first bows,” Jody said behind Five, leaning over to point where it stood propped up against the wall. “Saved my life, got me to Abel. Broke on the way, but I fixed it up, and kept it. Prized possessions, that’s what these all are, Five.”

“Sara bet the recipe for her pancakes.”

Five startled and turned to see Janine as she approached, dragging a tied, protesting, pillowcase-headed Sam behind her. “Simon bet a karaoke night—he seemed to think no one would want that.”

There was grief in her voice, but also humor, especially as she sat Sam down in a chair opposite of Five and removed the pillowcase. The operator blinked owlishly, took in the situation, and acted accordingly.

“What the _hell is going on?”_

“This is an intervention,” Maxine said again, thoroughly enjoying her new role. “See, there’s a little over an hour till midnight. We’re all tired of watching you two make puppy eyes at each other but not doing anything about it.”

Sam colored spectacularly. “We don’t make—”

But Maxine wasn’t finished. She grinned a wicked grin. “So we’ve decided to do something about it. You guys are so good at teamwork, we figured it’s time to up the stakes. If you can get yourselves untied by the time the clock strikes midnight, we’ll back off.”

“If not?” Sam prodded when she paused for dramatic effect.

She blinked innocently at him. “Well, we’re all going to be off celebrating the New Year’s, probably late. And I know with all the wine I’ve drunk, I probably won’t be getting up till at least two. In the afternoon. How about you, Janine?”

“I’m planning on getting positively _hammered,”_ she said, straight faced.

All the red that went to Sam’s cheeks drained immediately. “Now, hold on one second—”

“It’ll be fine!” Owen exclaimed, ruffling his hair as he bounded by. “We have complete and utter faith in you!”

“Do try to escape by midnight,” Jody whispered to Five as she tightened the ropes. “We need that betting pool erased come morning, and I’d really like my bow back.”

And with that, the Runners, plus Maxine, Paula, and Janine, all filed out, leaving Sam Yao and Runner Five thoroughly secured to chairs in the rec room.

-

Sam broke the silence first, full of righteous rage—and anxiety. Everybody knew that Sam talked when he was anxious. “The nerve of them,” he swore, and if he had a fist free he would’ve shaken it. “I mean, we don’t—do we Five? Certainly not the way they’re thinking. I mean, of all days, this really isn’t the ideal time, I don’t believe—and _why_ would they go through all this trouble is the question, isn’t it? Maybe there’s something in the drink, maybe they’re being mind controlled again, because honestly I feel this is unprovoked retaliation—”

Five stayed quiet and let him ramble, head down, trying to keep the blush from his eyes. That wasn’t hard. Sam was looking anywhere but Five’s face. But still.

“I mean, what?” He let out a breathless, disbelieving laugh and rattled the arm of the chair his right wrist had been tied to. “How the hell are we supposed to get out of this? I don’t know about you, Five, but I’d really rather not be here all night. I-I-I had _plans,_ and—I mean—”

And then Five couldn’t help it—a short bark of laughter escaped the Runner, because neither of them had plans, and Sam really was a terrible liar. But the thought was appreciated.

That caught Sam’s attention and he finally turned towards Five with all his pent up indignance, but he saw the goofy grin on his Runner’s face at this ridiculous situation, and the blush forming on Five’s cheeks, and the absurdity of the night caught up to him and he started to chuckle, Five joining in until the rec room rang with delirious, incredulous laughter.

“I’m sorry, Five,” Sam said, once the giggling subsided. “I really am. I don’t really know… I mean to say, it’s been quite some time since I had any sort of experience with this sort of thing.”

Five, who’d been struggling to reach the standard Runner’s belt where a knife was always hidden, arched a brow in his direction. Sam realized how that sounded and scowled. “Oh, you know what I mean! Romantically. I mean. You saw how and when that ended. It’s not something I ever want to think about.”

Five nodded, which at least told Sam the Runner was listening, so he continued, bravery growing. “The timing was never right, was it? Every time we get even the semblance of a breather, something awful happens. Last year being a prime example—you remember that party, don’t you, where we lost Maxine and practically half of Abel? I couldn’t very well say something then now could I? And then every second after that was near disaster, and, well, after Simon—”

The Runner stilled for a second, the pain still raw, and Sam shook his head. “Exactly! Exactly. I’m not, I mean, I try not to be the selfish sort, Five. You cared about him, we all did. Who am I to take that away? Especially, I mean—” His voice shook, and he dropped his eyes. “Especially because there was always a chance I was reading things wrong, you know? I do that. I’m aware. I’m thick, I _know_ that, so it just… always seemed like a better idea to say nothing.”

They lapsed into silence, Sam gnawing on his lower lip and Five straining to reach the knife. Sam’s cheeks burned. He peered at the clock, startled to see they’d been in the rec room nearing an hour, and that they had just over thirty minutes to get loose or they’d be left here overnight. He wasn’t sure he could take that, not with Five, not like this.

“You weren’t.”

The voice cracked the stillness and made Sam jump. He turned to Five again, heart pounding, and noticed that the Runner had gotten hold of the knife and was using it to saw through the ropes behind the chair. Five didn’t look at him, but powered on.

“Reading things wrong, I mean.” And this time it was Five’s turn to avoid Sam’s eyes, the confession hushed like a secret.

Sam reeled his heart back before it could take flight. “You mean…?”

“Oh, I love you, Sam Yao,” the Runner said, and the accompanying grin lit up the room. “Always have, always will. I just… never knew how to say it.”

“You said it just fine there,” Sam breathed.

“I did, didn’t I?” And Five laughed again, the sound giddy and free, as the ropes fell away. The Runner stood and crossed the room to untie him, and he stood so he could place both hands on Five’s cheeks and press their foreheads together.

“You did,” he said.

Five’s lips were tantalizingly close. “So do you want to try?”

“We’ve made them wait long enough, don’t you think?”

The statement made the Runner pull back for a second, making Sam panic. But Five simply crossed the room to the whiteboard, picked up a blue marker, and wrote under a free slot, “THIRTY SECONDS.”

At Sam’s questioning gaze Five shrugged, grabbing him by his loosened collar and pulling him close. “I want Sara’s banana pancake recipe.”

They laughed as they kissed, which made the contact quite messy, but in the grand scheme of things neither of them seemed to mind.


End file.
